Ministerial Conference

Conference of European Ministers responsible for social cohesion26-27 February, Moscow, Russia

“Investing in social cohesion – investing in stability and the well-being of society”

This first Conference of Ministers of Social Cohesion will re-launch the debate on the important role of social cohesion for European societies in the context of globalisation and the economic crisis. The Conference will assess the political commitment necessary in order to strengthen social cohesion as society’s capacity to achieve, maintain and improve well-being for all, while applying an inclusive approach based on shared values.

The Conference will explore the level of investment required to guarantee social stability based on equal access of all to social rights and opportunities.

In addition to respect for universal access to social rights, the Ministers will concentrate on the content and further development of those rights, including for the most vulnerable groups.

Speakers will include the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Terry Davis, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammerberg, and the Minister for Public Health and Social Development of Russia, Tatyana Golikova.

Vladimir Putin: ''Social dumping is not the way to cope with the crisis''
The Russian Prime Minister has welcomed the holding in Moscow of the first Conference of European Ministers responsible for Social Cohesion, the main aims of which are to draw up an action plan for broadening the scope of social rights and to set up mechanisms of benefit to all citizens. He said that Russia was maintaining all its social expenditure at the planned level and had put in place some priority national projects, mainly in the fields of employment, education, health and housing. Russia intended to be part of an undivided Europe, he concluded. Photo: Terry Davis and Vladimir PutinSpeech by Vladimir Putin, Russia's Prime Minister

Tatyana Golikova: ''Alleviating the effects of the crisis and averting social unrest''
The Russian Minister for Public Health and Social Development has spelled out the efforts being made by Russia to soften the impact of the crisis. For one thing, the government has encouraged the training and redeployment of unemployed persons, and the development of the retirement system – with supplementing of the compulsory insurance schemes. Reforms have also been carried out in order to guarantee universal access to health care. Photo: Tatyana Golikova